Butterfly or like valves



April 4, 1961 c. E. 'HENRION BUTTERFLY OR LIKE VALVES Filed March 12,1958 States 2,978,222 BUTTERFLY R LIKE VALVES Charles Emile Hem-ion, Ruedu Pont de Pierre, Essey-les-Nancy, France The present invention relatesto improvements in butterfly valves or the like, in which the shaftaround which the butterfly may rotate does notmeet the contact line, orsurface, along which the periphery of the-butterfly comes intoengagement with the inner surface of the valve body, so thatsuch surfaceof contact is unbroken and the tightness of the valve is notablyimproved.

In accordance with the invention, the periphery of the butterfly isprovided with a fluid-tight fitting which is also unbroken and the axisaround which the butterfly rotates isa virtual axis designed insuch awaythat it does not interrupt the continuity of the line of contact.

The fluid-tight fitting consists of a groove formed along the wholeperiphery of the butterfly and an unbroken packing which is lodged inthe groove and is in the form of a circular ring of natural or syntheticrubber, Teflon, or a convenient plastic material having a suitableelasticity and which is not subject to attack by the fluid which passesthrough the butterfly valve.

The dimensions of thegroove' and of the circular ring, as well as theshape of the groove, are chosen so that,

atent when the butterfly is in closed position, the shape of theresilient ring is altered by the pressure of the fluid and .is pressedradially against a sleeve of stainless, polished steel which ispreferably disposed'against the inner surface of the valve body andthereby forms a tight packing "by means of which a diflerence ofpressure may be maintained between the opposite faces of the butterfly.

A specific embodiment of the invention is hereinafter I describedindetail, with reference to the accompanying drawing and only by way ofexample, in orderto permit the invention to be better understood.

In the drawing:

v Fig. 1 is a radial sectional view of the fluid tightipa'cking at theperiphery of the butterfly, 1

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the packing ring deformed by thefluid pressure,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View of the butterfly in at-planeperpendicular to the vertical axis of rotation thereon v v i Fig. 4isan" axialsectional'view offa butterfly valve embodying-the invention,and 1 g Fig. 5 is a side elevation view ofthe valve of Fig. '4.

the valve embodying? the. present invention comprises a groove ifalongits-. 'entire peripheryand in whieh circular ri-ngl fl {is iiljodged,the groove 4; being narrower at its opening than at. tsbottom:

In 1 the illustrated embo'dime flange-like part 6 Referring tothedrawing in detail, it will be seen that,

. connecting links "and i-thej latter fjl 'ave bitureat ice Thedimensions of the opening of the groove and of the ring are chosen sothat the opening is narrower than the diameter of the ring, for whichreason the latter must be forced through the opening in order to bepositioned in the groove.

The circular ring 5 consists of a resilient material, such as, naturalor synthetic'rubber, Teflon, or other convenient plastic materialshaving suitable elasticity and suflicient stiffness and which arenotsusceptible to damage by the fluid flowing through the valve. Asalready mentioned the projecting edge or rim 6 of the groove is disposedon the side where the fluid pressure acts when the valve is in closedposition. The pressure then acts against the circular ring, and deformsthe latter by pressing it against the wall of the groove which isopposed to the projecting edge 6 and against an inner lining of thecorresponding part of the valve body. Such inner lining preferablyconsists of a sleeve 7 of stainless metal.

The sleeve 7 is secured in the valve body at its side opposed to thearrival of the fluid, either by welding or by having a force fit withinthe valve body. Preferably, as shown in Fig. 4, the inner surface ofvalve body 1 is counterbored along most of the length of sleeve 7 7 sothat, with the exception of the portionof sleeve 7 secured to body I, anannular clearance is provided be tween sleeve 7 and body 1.

When sleeve 7 has been secured, the device is compacking along the wholecircumference of the butterfly.

On the other hand, owing to the peculiar shape of the groove, thecircular ring cannot be inadvertently removed from the groove, when thebutterfly-valve is in opened position, and the section of the valvebodywhich was previously shut by the butterfly valve is then stronglysweptby the fluid flowing at high speed through the valve body. 7

It'is obvious that, in order to have an unbrok n surface between theperiphery of the butterfly and the line along which the butterfly istightly applied against the inner wall of the valve body, the. butterflycannot be rotatably mounted on a shaft which cutsthrough this surface,and, in accordance with the present invention, the butterfly valve 3 isrotatably mounted on a virtual orimaginary axis. 7

In order to mount the valve 3, the valve body 1 is provided with two'p'rcjeetions 10 and -11 positioned symmetrically with'respect tothediameter of the valve body perpendicular to a hereinafter;,mentioneddriving shaft,

and which are internally bored, .so that they can serve j,

as bearings for a shaft 12, .which is utilized as the driving shaft-ofthe butterfly as will. be explained below.

' It is understood that bearing 10 is-preferablyprovided witha stuflingor packingbox, not shown in the drawings. i v 1.0m shaft 12 aremountedat least two cross-bars or eonn'ecting links 13 and 14 areparallel .to each otherand disposed ina plane parallel ,to that of thebut- 'terfly valge. -The connectingdinks 13 and '14 arepe rpendiculartoshaft 12 which is at the midpoi fnasg s in iwh'ichcouplingrods 171' may 'r'oftateab'out pivo'tf'pins 16 engagedjin apertures boredin. the bifurcated ends of v the cross-bars oi-connecting links. Theopposite ends "of theQcouplingrods are" hinged tothe butterflyvalve ,3.

For this purpose, the butterfly-valve has, in its face directed towardsthe driving shaft, parallel grooves 18, each of which corresponds to apair of coupling rods. The bottom of each groove 18 is provided with twoadditional recesses 19 and hollows 19a for receiving axles 20 upon whichends of the coupling-rods 17 are mounted, so that the coupling-rods canrotate with respect to the butterfly 3. The axles 20 are kept in therespective hollows 19a by means of counter-plates 21 which are held inthe grooves 18 of the butterfly-valve by means of screws 22 (Fig. 3). Asshown in Fig. 3, the axes of the pins or axles 20 coincide with a planeof the valve member. 7

The distances between the axles 20, by which the coupling-rods arepivotally connected to the butterflyvalve, are the same as the distancebetween the pivot pins 16 disposed at the opposite ends of the couplingrods, so that the four coupling-rods 17 form an articulatedparallelepiped, and the plane of the butterfly always 'remains parallelto the plane formed by the shaft 12 and the cross-bars or connectinglinks 13, 14, mounted on the latter.

It is obvious that, with the butterfly-valve initially in its closedposition, as shown on Figs. 4 and 5, it will be suflicient to turn thevalve through 90 degrees in the counterclockwise direction to bring thebutterfly-valve to its open position parallel to the axis of the valvebody.

It is to be noted that, in order to permit full opening of the valve 3,the driving shaft 12 must be spaced from the median plane of the valvebody 1, as is obvious in Fig. 4.

It is also obvious that the distance between the driving shaft 12 andthe virtual axis of the butterfly valve 3 will not change during openingand closing of the latter and that the virtual axis will always remainpractically in the 'same position by reason of the fact that thediameter of the circular valve 3 is substantially equal to the innerdiameter of valve body 1.

The forces acting on the butterfly valve in its wholly or partiallyclosed position by reason of the pressure of the fluid flowing throughthe valve, will be fully supported by the driving shaft 12 to which theforces will be transmitted by means of the coupling rods 17 and thecross bars'13 and 14.

Although an illustrative embodiment of the invention has been describedin detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawing, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to that precise embodiment,and that various changes and modifications may be effected in said valvebody, cross bar means mounted centrally on said shaft and extendingdiametrically with respect to the axis of the operating shaft, at leastone pair of equal lengths coupling rods for said cross bar means, pivotpins extending parallel to the axis of said shaft at the opposite endsof each cross-bar and pivotally connecting the related pair of couplingrods to the cross-bar means at one end of each coupling rod, and means10- the circular valve member by distances equal to the medial line,said axis of the operating shaft being spaced from said axis of thecylindrical valve body so that said valve member can be moved about saiddiametrical medial line to a fully open position lying in a planecontaining said axis of the body without interference cated in a planeof the valve member pivotally connecting the other ends of said couplingrods to said circular valve member at locations which, for each pair ofcoupling rods, are spaced from a diametrical medial line of from saidcross bar means and coupling rods.

2. A butterfly valve as in claim 1; wherein said means pivotallyconnecting the other ends of the coupling rods to the valve memberincludes a pivot pin received in an aperture at said other end of eachcoupling rod and extending from the opposite sides of the latter, saidvalve member having a recess with an arcuate bottom for each couplingrod and receiving said other end of the latter,

and hollows at the opposite sides of each recess having the ends of thepivot pin at said other end of the related coupling rod seated therein,and a cover plate removably secured to said valve member and overlyingsaid hollows to retain the related pivot pin therein.

3. A butterfly valve as in claim 1; wherein said circular valve memberhas a groove extending along the entire periphery thereof and openingradially outward through an annular slot, said valve member having anintegral annular projection at one side of said slot to reduce the widthof the latter, and a sealing ring of elastic material having a normallycircular cross-section with the diameter of the latter being greaterthan said reduced width of said slot of the groove, said sealing ringbeing disposed in said groove and reaching through said slot to preventleakage past said valve member when the latter is in its closedposition, said projection being spaced from the surface of said sealingring so that, when said valve member is in its closed position, thepressure of fluid acting against one side of the valve member can enterbetween said projection and sealing ring and act in said groove todeform the sealing ring and thereby urge the latter into intimatesealing engagement with said valve body.

4. A butterfly valve as in claim 1; wherein said circular valve memberhas a groove extending along the enthe periphery thereof and openingradially outward; and

further comprising a sealing ring of elastic material seated in saidgroove and projecting from the latter, and

a radially uninterrupted, one-piece resilient sleeve fixed in said valvebody and spaced radially inward from the interior surface of the valvebody over a substantial portion of the length of said sleeve so that,when said valve member is in its closed position, the pressure of fluidacting against said valve member can also act between said interiorsurface of the valve body and said sleeve to urge the latter radiallyinward into intimate sealing contact with said sealing ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSRothchild Jan. 16, 1912 2,059,656 Ring Nov. 3, 1936 2,299,865 "WhittedOct. 27, 1942 2,673,708 Danks Mar. 30, 1954 2,791,396 Reppert May 7,1957 2,825,528 Truitt Mar. 4, 1958 2,886,062 Wheatley a- ..L May 12,1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 435,059 Great Britain or 1935

